Licensure in School Social Work Concentration, B.S.W.

Overview

Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) students at UNCG interested in pursuing a career in school social work may apply for Licensure in School Social Work. School social work is an exciting and rewarding field of practice for those interested in working with elementary, middle, or high school level students and their families.

Much of the work in this field involves preventive or early intervention work, which often increases the success of social work services. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requires that all social workers hired for School Social Work positions be licensed or be eligible to sign a provisional contract for School Social Work Licensure.

The Student Experience

• The program is a 41-hour major with two community-based volunteer placements and a 440-hour internship during which students apply theoretical knowledge and skills to social work practice.
• Students have leadership opportunities in the National Association of Social Workers Student Organization and Phi Alpha Honor Society.
• The Council on Social Work Education assesses students on their mastery of competencies —dimensions of social work practice that all social workers are expected to master during their professional training.
• The program has a joint B.S.W. field education program with NC A&T State University through which students are placed in a variety of practice settings to complete their internships.
• Social Work seniors at UNCG have the opportunity to study abroad in Denmark, Belgium, or Spain through The Global Work with Immigrant Kids Project. This project is designed to educate new social work practitioners for work with immigrant and refugee children and families. Social work students participate in semester-long exchanges, which involves intensive language instruction, a 15-week field internship, and additional courses, including one web-based course.
• Students can get involved with UNCG-led initiatives in the local community including a mental health and substance abuse program for homeless individuals and refugee and immigrant individuals, and a program that works to solve the opioid crisis.
• Student leadership opportunities are available by participating in organizations for Social Work students such as the National Association of Social Workers Student Organization (NASW-SO) and the Phi Alpha Honor Society.

Undergraduate Minor

A Minor in Social Work is an excellent addition for students interested in combining a primary major (such as nursing, political science, or psychology) with social welfare.

After Graduation

• Eighty percent of all graduates gain employment in the social work field within one year of graduation.
• Graduates have been admitted to advanced standing programs at a number of nationally recognized schools of social work including Columbia University, Case Western University, the University of South Carolina, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Apply to Program

Our social work program is not approved for licensure only applicants. We can only provide licensure to students who are currently in the B.S.W. program. Alumni are not eligible to return & seek this licensure.

• Meet with Professor Elizabeth Webb, Coordinator of the School Social Work Licensure Program, fall semester of junior year to review application procedures and answer questions.
• BSW students who want to apply to this program should download the Handbook for School of Social Work: Undergraduate Licensure Program (PDF) which provides requirements for this program and steps to follow for the application process.
  • Application Form
• The application must be completed by 5:00 p.m. on January 14, 2023 (eligible students must be in the spring semester of their junior year by this deadline).
• Students accepted will have their paperwork forwarded to the UNCG Teacher Education Program and the Co-Directors of Field.
• Placements in school settings for the senior year internship will be arranged by the Co-Directors of Field.
• Professor Elizabeth Webb, Coordinator of the School Social Work Licensure Program, meets with students in the fall semester of the junior year to review application procedures answer questions.
• Questions may be directed to Professor Elizabeth Webb at [email protected].

ELIGIBILITY for school social work license

The School Social Work License is specific to North Carolina, and interested students must check the state that they plan to be employed in to determine eligibility for a school social work license after completing the criteria for the license in North Carolina.